Chapter 1886
Boyd nced at Serana, looked away, and followed Yasmine.
"What are you following me for?" Yasmine threw a fleeting nce at him, her emotions barely
flickering.
"Can''t we spend a little more time together since we rarely see each other?"
Yasmine let out a chuckle. "I''m in the middle of something pretty important, and frankly, I don''t think
you''re the kind ofpany I''m looking to keep right now."
"So I didn''t ask your permission."
Yasmine came to a halt. "You''ve be quite bold in the two months we haven''t seen each
other."d2
"What can I say? You''re a tough nut to crack, and it doesn''t leave me with many options."
Yasmine took a deep breath. "Look, Boyd, we used to be pretty tight, and I get that a rare meeting
warrants more time together, but I''m really tied up with something crucial right now – and it''s a
private matter."
Her words couldn''t be more tactful.
"So, you and Ava have private matters that outsiders shouldn''t know about?"
The undertone of his question was clear: Are you and Ava hiding something from everyone else?
As if she wasn''t entitled to her own secrets.
"Do you have a problem with that?"
Boyd watched her for a moment before speaking slowly, "I just think it''s a shame that our
rtionship has be so strained over someone else."
Yasmine raised an eyebrow and nced at Serana, who was still standing there, and snorted.
"You''re actually asking me to let go of my grudge against Serana, aren''t you?"
Boyd frowned. "Why do you have to bring her into this?"
"It''s my business to dislike her, and what happens between us is our business. You''re the one
dragging her into it, not me. On one hand, she''s a thorn in my side, and on the other, you expect me
to be kind to her no matter what."
"Boyd, I''m just here to take care of some affairs, not to stir any trouble or threaten Serana. So quit
trying to sell me on her like a door-to-door salesman. So what you''re saying is, whether our
friendship survives hinges on whether I ept Serana?"
Boyd listened quietly until she finished venting. "Is it really that pleasant to hate someone? You''re
usually so clear-headed. Instead of holding onto hatred, why not let go and feel better?"
"I am a bit irritated, sure. But it''s just for the moment. After a good night''s sleep, I''ll forget all about it.
It''s not like I''ll be around all the time to make myself miserable."
With that, Yasmine turned and strode away, but Boyd''s voice followed her. "Have you really never
thought about why you hate Serana?"
"Do I need a reason to dislike someone?"
"Yes, you do."
Boyd blocked her path, looking at her intently. "The day you left, Serana said, maybe you dislike her
because of me. Because I was your only friend from the start, and her arrival has divided my
attention."
Yasmine clenched her fists in her pockets, her expression still indifferent. "Whatever she says is
fine, as long as you''re happy."
"If I''m wrong, then give me a reason."
Yasmine took a deep breath, her impatience evident.
"I didn''te here to be forced to give you a reason. It''s whatever you guys want to think. Honestly,
you and Serana are really annoying with all this drama."
After pushing past Boyd, she left the orphanage.
In the director''s office.
Bryson''s expression was stern. "About Yasmine''s file, I want to confirm again. There''s really no
trace left, right?"
The director nodded. "It''s all gone from here."
"And the children..." Bryson rubbed his temples, sighing with frustration.
The director quickly reassured him. "I''ll keep a close eye on them. They won''t have any contact with
outsiders for a while. Kids tend to forget, especially about days that held no special significance to
them."
Bryson exhaled deeply and stood up. "Thanks for your help. I never thought that my selfish desire to
celebrate her birthday would lead to this. If someone starts asking questions, ourdy might be in
real danger. I''m being upfront with you, and I hope you..."
"I will, Mr. Winston, don''t worry. I''ve looked after Yasmine for over three years. Of course, I want her
to be safe. How could I do anything to harm her?"
Bryson nodded. "Thank you. And no one hase by asking about hertely, right?"
The director shook his head. "No one asking about her, but Serana..." Realizing he''d said too much,
the director paused.
"Is this child the one who leaked ourdy''s birthday?"
"She didn''t mean any harm. Kids don''t think that far ahead."
"I''m not about to attribute malice to a nine-year-old. I just don''t want anyone tracing things back to
Yasmine through her."
"I''ll be vignt on that front."
Bryson nodded gravely.
_
Boyd had his limits, and Yasmine''s icy jabs did sting, but being called annoying, that was a first.
How much patience did he have left?
He was trying to salvage a friendship that she could dismiss so casually. She used to be tactful, but
now, even that was gone. Angered, he didn''t chase after her.
Serana watched him return with a troubled look, knowing they hadn''t reconciled. As he approached,
she walked up to him. "Boyd, is Yasmine still mad?"
"I''m done with her. Not many can stand her foul temper."
With that, he walked off.
Serana bit her lip, looking towards the school gates. She set down her watering can by the
flowerbed and ran after Yasmine.
Ava lived halfway up the hillside in a privately built house.
As Yasmine headed in the opposite direction, Serana''s voice called out from behind. Yasmine
frowned and quickened her pace, but Serana didn''t seem to want to stop.
Annoyed, Yasmine stopped and turned as Serana caught up, panting anding to a halt.
“Yasmine, I gotta clear the air with you. Boyd actually cares a lot about you. You''ve been gone a
while and…”
“You don''t need to exin anything to me, Serana. There''s no misunderstanding between us. I
know he cares. We''ve been friends for years, not for nothing.”
"Then why don’t you guys make up?”
“Why should we make up? He ticked me off, and I don’t feel like patching things up. Is that a
problem? Go back, stop wasting your breath on me. If you''ve been wronged, he has to seek justice
for you. If it''s truly for the good of both of us, then you should keep your distance from me..”
Serana wouldn''t back down, “I really hope you two don''t fall out over me. You clearly care about
Boyd too. Things could be so much better, why let it get to this point.”
Yasmine scoffed, “Aren’t you the sweet and innocent one. No wonder Boyd’s so into you.”
Serana shook her head, “I’m not that innocent. When the garden got wrecked, I thought you did it. I
even resented and disliked you. I dirtied your notebooks and threw trash by your desk, hoping the
teacher would scold you.”Original from N?velDrama.Org.
Yasmine’s eyebrows twitched. So the girl was hooked on ying the saint. Such childish antics, and
Serana took them to heart.
In fact, Yasmine had to admit that Serana was indeed better in some ways. At least, she was more
genuine, dealing with things that were appropriate for her age, unable to overthink or see beyond.
What had Serana done wrong? Nothing. But Yasmine just didn’t like her.
Boyd said that Serana reminded him that Yasmine’s dislike towards her was because of him. Maybe
that was true.
Serana looked uneasy, “Yasmine, I…”
Yasmine blinked, but dislike was real, and now she even had a reason for it.
“Maybe you’re right. So from now on, both of you stay away from me. Saves me the headache of
seeing you two.”
With that, Yasmine walked away, but Serana kept following her, rambling on and on about how
great Boyd was, and how much he cared for her. It was annoying, like being stuck with a clingy bug
buzzing in her ear.
Knowing Serana was dead set on sticking to her, Yasmine gritted her teeth, turned around, and
headed straight for the orphanage gates.
She had to dump this nuisance back on Boyd.